Monday, 11 February 2008

At least 41 Tamil Tigers and three security personnel were killed in a series of gun battles in Sri Lanka's embattled northern region, the military said on Monday.

Troops gunned down six Tiger rebels in two attacks at Muhamalai areas of Jaffna on Monday while another eight militants were killed in Kallikulam area of Northern Vavuniya in fresh clashes on Sunday, the army said.

Separately six Tiger militants were gunned down in Mullikulam area on Sunday, it said.

In another confrontation at Janakpura in North-Eastern Welioya, two militants were killed by the security forces yesterday, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.

In subsequent clashes in the same area, the MCNS said, at least four militants were killed on Sunday. One soldier was also killed in the incident.

Security forces killed three LTTE rebels at Sirikulam in North-western Mannar and gunned down another two in Karampaikulam area on Sunday.Source: Times Of India

Colombo : Sri Lanka Monday accepted India's offer to help its people upgrade their technical and managerial skills so that the island's economic growth and export potential are not retarded by a shortage of trained manpower.

Minister for Enterprise Development Sarath Amunugama accepted the offer by Indian Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh at a meeting here.

Sri Lankan officials, entrepreneurs and educationists, would meet representatives of Indian private and public educational institutions in Bangalore within the next three months, the two ministers told the media here.

Ramesh, who is now in Sri Lanka with a delegation of top Indian entrepreneurs and business executives to explore possibilities of collaborating in the fields of textiles, IT and education, said that one of the basic drawbacks in Sri Lanka was an acute shortage of technical and managerial skills.

He also deplored the laid back approach to new projects in the island, which was preventing projects from taking off.

Representatives of Reliance, Larsen and Toubro, Mahindra, The Aditya Birla Group, Indo-Rama, Vardhaman, Arvind Mills, Quatrro, and Virtusa are part of the Indian team talking to the Sri Lankan government and the private sector.

Indian textile companies want Sri Lankan garment manufacturers to think of building symbiotic relations with them so that India and Sri Lanka can together compete with other countries.

Indian textile companies would like Sri Lankan garment manufacturers to buy the basic textiles from India and not China or Southeast Asia as they do now.

But Sri Lankan garment manufacturers say that Indian textiles do not offer the variety and types they want. The two sides decided to sit together and thrash out the matter over the next two or three days.

Indians are also pleading for a joint South Asian approach to the international market in textiles and garments so that the intensely competitive global market can be exploited to mutual advantage.

Sri Lankan textile companies, on the other hand, would like India to allow more Sri Lankan garments to enter the Indian market. Right now, only three million pieces a year are allowed, which is too small, the Sri Lankans complain. They would like at least eight million pieces to be allowed.

The Indian minister said that while the Sri Lankan case was valid, India had a strong garments sector too, whose sentiments would have to be respected in a democracy.

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which already has a presence in Sri Lanka, offered to help Sri Lanka modernize its refinery at Sapugaskanda.

Minister Jairam Ramesh said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Sri Lanka had been a model for the region and added that it was among the factors that had helped bring Indian investments to the tune of $220 million to the island.

Investments worth another $360 million are in the pipeline. Investments totalling $2 billion were under discussion, he added.

The FTA and better economic ties between the two countries had resulted in Sri Lankan companies like Brandix, MAS Holdings, Damro and Ceylon Biscuits investing in India.

The two countries were hoping to finalise the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by April, and sign it by the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to be held in Sri Lanka in July-August this year, Ramesh said.

The Sri Lankan Minister for Enterprise Development Sarath Amunugama described the visit of "top flight" entrepreneurs from India as "historic" and said that the future lay in more private sector initiatives.

Private initiatives were necessary especially in the field of education because speed was the need of the hour to bridge the skills gap, he said.

Amunugama urged India to help Sri Lanka get an extension of the GSP Plus status in the European Union countries, which is due to expire this year. Indian textile manufacturers would be able to gain from Sri Lanka's continued privileged access to the European market, he said.

India is committed to a closer economic cooperation with Sri Lanka, visiting minister Jairam Ramesh said today, while is stating that investments of 2 billion dollars from business houses in his country into the Island Nation are at discussion stage.

"While 220 million dollars worth of Indian investment is already there in Sri Lanka as much as 2 billion dollars of investment by Indian business houses into the Island country are under discussions," India's Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh told reporters here at Indo-Sri lankan Investment Seminar.

Ramesh, who is heading a business delegation to Sri Lanka, said another 360 million dollars of Indian investments in value terms to the SriLanka are also in the pipeline.

The delegation comprises of officials from Indian Oil, Oswal, Reliance textile group, Indo-Rama, Vardhaman and Mahindra and Mahindra.

The focus of the discussion is education sector and textiles, the Minister said, adding that bilateral trade and investments are expected to get a boost following the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that is likely to be signed by both countries by April this year.

He said, both countries are slated to enter into the CEPA ahead of the SAARC summit, scheduled to be in Sri Lanka by July end.

As hostilities in Sri Lanka intensify and human rights abuses increase, threats to the media and media freedoms inside the country have increased dramatically, says a new Amnesty International report, Silencing Dissent, published today.

The organisation has found that since the beginning of 2006 at least ten media workers have been the victims of unlawful killings; at least two have disappeared; while others have been tortured and arbitrarily detained under emergency regulations (ERs) granting the government sweeping powers.

The report also shows that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, do not allow any independent local media in the territories it controls, and closely monitors and restricts the work of journalists. On occasion, the LTTE has also targeted journalists in other parts of the country.

'Frequent attacks on journalists and a climate of impunity are turning Sri Lanka into an Orwellian state where critical voices are stifled.

'Investigations have stalled and no one has been brought to justice for the deaths of media workers including cases dating back to 1990. Amnesty International calls on the Sri Lankan authorities to bring the people responsible to justice and end immediately the impunity with which the security forces carry out their intimidation of the media.

'Clamping down on media freedoms corrodes free speech, strangles debate, and prevents a true assessment of human rights abuses taking place. Amnesty International condemns the government's campaign of intimidation against the media, and calls on it to respect and protect the freedom of the media to work without fear.'

Amnesty International calls on Sri Lanka authorities and the LTTE to:

· Respect and protect the rights to life, liberty and security of media workers in compliance with Sri Lanka's obligations under international law· Declare unequivocally that killings, threats, or other attacks on media workers will not be tolerated· Ensure that all cases of attacks on media workers, irrespective of the identity of perpetrators or victims, are promptly, independently, impartially and effectively investigated.· Respect and ensure respect for the right to freedom of opinion and expression, in compliance with Sri Lanka's obligations under the ICCPR and other international treaties and standards.

Background information· Journalists have also been targeted in the South, particularly those covering corruption issues. On 16 August 2007 the personal security provided by the government to veteran journalist Iqbal Athas was removed. Athas had been given police protection after being repeatedly threatened by members of the security forces who were angered by his coverage of arms deals.· Amnesty International also called on the LTTE to end its policy of intimidation of and crackdown against the media in the areas it controls.· The Karuna faction, a splinter group of the LTTE reportedly acting with the consent of the government forces, is also reported to have harassed media and stopped the distribution of Sudar Oli and Thinnakkural in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara Districts (in the east) since at least January 2007.· In addition, there are increasing reports of intimidation of artists, including actors, writers and filmmakers. One film maker commenting on the banning of Asoka Handagama's film Aksharaya (Letter of Fire) says the government is trying to ban the film as part of a general drive 'to stop political and socially sensitive cinema'.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he wants LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran captured alive to face charges of crimes committed by him including the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi who was killed by a suicide bomber during an election rally in India. In an interview with the India Today Managing Editor, Raj Chengappa, Rajapaksa also reiterated he would negotiate with the LTTE only if they laid down arms and warned that if not, the government would have no option but to continue with the military operations. Either the LTTE accept a political solution by giving up arms and terrorist activities or we will have to curtail their moves. Either the LTTE accept a political solution by giving up arms and terrorist activities or we will have to curtail their moves, the President warned, adding, “The government can't kneel down to terrorists. They can't have their cake and eat it too.”“A ceasefire will give them time again. We don't want them to strengthen themselves and attack us. We want a final solution," the President said.While the government and the military had earlier assured the LTTE would be wiped out by the end of this year, President Rajapaksa said it might take a little bit longer."We would have cleared them out of the remaining areas long ago but we also had to ensure no civilians were killed. I would say, in a year and a half, we might be able to do it."However, army chief General Sarath Fonseka who also vowed to defeat Tamil separatists refused to set a deadline for the end of the decades-old conflict, saying the rebels remain a potent force. On an interview with the Lakbima weekly newspaper he said a military campaign to capture the rebel-held Wanni region in the north begun in March last year was moving according to plan.He however refused to give a timeframe for defeating the LTTE , who have fought for more than three decades to establish an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the Sinhalese-majority island."They are an organised force with a lot of experience. They have thousands of fighters. I don't conduct the war looking at deadlines and timeframes," Fonseka said. "Can a war that has been going on for more than 25 years be completed by March? But, what I say is -- give us a chance."At the beginning of the year, in an interview with the state-run Sunday Observer, Fonseka said the LTTE had 3,000 fighters and pledged that the military could defeat them by mid-2008.But in the interview published Sunday, he increased his estimate of rebel strength to 5,000 combatants, citing new intelligence reports.On the ground, the defence ministry said at least 42 rebels and four soldiers were killed in fierce fighting in the north of the island on Saturday.In the heaviest fighting in Vavuniya district, at least 15 rebels and three troops were killed, the ministry said in a statement. Twenty-seven other rebels and one soldier were killed in separate clashes.The ministry put the number of rebels killed since the start of the year at 1,088. A total of 48 soldiers were killed during the same period, it said.The number of casualties reported by both the government and the Tigers cannot be independently verified as journalists and human rights workers are not allowed to enter the battle zone.Fonseka said the military had killed 5,000 Tiger rebels last year, without mentioning the total losses for security forces.However, he said 4,000 government soldiers had been wounded in the last two years, with half of them choosing to return to the battlefield.Fonseka, who was severely injured by a Tamil rebel suicide bomber in April 2006, told the weekly that security forces were advancing on the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi, the Tigers' political capital in the north."This time when we take Kilinochchi, we will not leave it after a while. But we must realise that the offensive is going to take time," he said.Meanwhile, the army is being further strengthened with more men as the combined security forces campaign on the Vanni fronts enters a decisive stage with ground troops making significant progres . Fonseka on Saturday visited the area for a first hand assessment as troops on the Mannar front increased pressure on Adampan, an LTTE stronghold situated close to Yoda Wewa.According to Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the army had recruited about 3,000 since the beginning of this year. In an interview with Derana TV Saturday, the Brigadier while placing the number of recruits last year at 34,000 said that the army was 150,000 strong. He placed the combined strength of the three services over 200,000.Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) last week expressed concern about the impact on civilians of heightened violence in the country.An ICRC statement said that since the start of the year civilian casualties had gone up as the number of indiscriminate attacks had grown in the north, east and south of the country."Civilians and persons no longer taking direct part in the hostilities, such as sick, wounded or captured soldiers, must be protected in all circumstances under international humanitarian law," head of ICRC delegation in Colombo, Toon Vandenhove, said.Over 80 civilians were killed, in the north and the south, since the government announced withdrawing from the truce agreed with the LTTE in January.While the Tamil Tigers are accused of carrying out most of the attacks, security forces are accused of launching a claymore mine attack on a bus carrying school children in the LTTE-held area.The military deniedthe accusation.The ICRC said intensified fighting between government troops and the LTTE had increased the number of displaced persons and put humanitarian workers at greater risk.The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels both say that they inflicted heavy casualties on each others' forces in fierce fighting in the north on Friday. Source: southasianmedia.net

The strength of the Sri Lankan army is being beefed up as the battle for the Tamil Tiger stronghold of Wanni in the restive north enters a "decisive stage", Defence Ministry officials said today."The army is being further strengthened with addition of more men as the cohesive campaign of the security forces on the Wanni front enters a decisive stage with ground troops making significant progress," an official said.

Army Chief Lt General Sarath Fonseka on Saturday visited the area for a first-hand assessment as troops on north-west Mannar front increased pressure on Adampan, an LTTE stronghold close to Yoda Wewa in northern Sri Lanka.

"As the army advanced on LTTE positions, the LTTE, in a desperate bid to trigger a clash near Madhu church Saturday fired 81 mm mortars at troops deployed" nearby, the Defence Ministry said.

The army said troops had not targeted LTTE firing positions near the historic shrine.

"Had we responded to the enemy threat, the LTTE and the media sympathetic to them would have caused a major uproar," the army said.

According to Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara, the army had recruited about 3,000 men since the beginning of this year.

"The number of recruits in the army last year was 34,000 with its total strength touching 150,000," he said.

He placed the combined strength of the three services at over 2,00,000

The strength of the Sri Lankan army is being beefed up as the battle for the Tamil Tiger stronghold of Wanni in the restive north enters a "decisive stage", Defence Ministry officials said today."The army is being further strengthened with addition of more men as the cohesive campaign of the security forces on the Wanni front enters a decisive stage with ground troops making significant progress," an official said.

Army Chief Lt General Sarath Fonseka on Saturday visited the area for a first-hand assessment as troops on north-west Mannar front increased pressure on Adampan, an LTTE stronghold close to Yoda Wewa in northern Sri Lanka.

"As the army advanced on LTTE positions, the LTTE, in a desperate bid to trigger a clash near Madhu church Saturday fired 81 mm mortars at troops deployed" nearby, the Defence Ministry said.

The army said troops had not targeted LTTE firing positions near the historic shrine.

"Had we responded to the enemy threat, the LTTE and the media sympathetic to them would have caused a major uproar," the army said.

According to Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara, the army had recruited about 3,000 men since the beginning of this year.

"The number of recruits in the army last year was 34,000 with its total strength touching 150,000," he said.

He placed the combined strength of the three services at over 2,00,000

A leading Tamil leader of Sri Lanka has urged India to intervene and help the island nation to defeat LTTE chief V Prabhakaran "who will never agree" for any solution to the ethnic problem.

"Prabhakaran will never agree for anything and not a single country in the world will support his demand for a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka," V Anandasangaree, former MP and President of Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) told newsmen on Sunday night.

Claiming that he had held discussions with Indian leaders and National Security Advisor M K Narayanan recently, Anandasangaree said he was agitating for a solution to the Tamil issue based on the federal concept as being followed in India.

The 74-year old leader said India is also aware that Prabhakaran's demand for a separate homeland would not materialise. "Prabhakaran is digging his own grave," he said.

One of the oldest associates of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is visiting India after two long decades in a new avatar - sustainability guru.

AR Arular is headed to Chennai to open the India office of his Britain-based Global Sustainability Initiative (GSI), after attending an international meet here, where he spoke about the many inventions he says he has to his credit.

These inventions, covering a wide canvas ranging from the humble bicycle to nuclear power reactors, are geared to contribute to "sustainable development", Arular said in an interview.

His concept of a more environment-friendly bicycle involves 16 sweeping changes covering everything from the handle bar to the seat and has been contracted to a leading British firm for mass production, he said.

Arular, 60, hopes to work on the bicycle concept out of the Tamil Nadu capital, which was his home from 1978 to 1986 when he was a keen participant in the Sri Lankan Tamil militancy when its tentacles expanded rapidly.

Born in Jaffna, Arular graduated as a mechanical engineer from Moscow's People's Friendship University - the cradle of many revolutionaries - and was among the Tamils who got military training from Palestinian groups in Syria and Lebanon in the 1970s.

He returned to Sri Lanka and met Prabhakaran, then an unknown entity who had just given birth to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Although Arular was not an LTTE member, his close association with Prabhakaran lasted many years.

Once India began to patronise various Tamil militant groups, the LTTE included, after vicious anti-Tamil riots in Sri Lanka in 1983, Arular tried repeatedly to bring about unity in the ranks of the divided guerrillas but failed.

Eventually, Arular left India for good in 1986, the year the LTTE virtually decimated its biggest rival group. He returned to Tamil Nadu, only as a transit passenger, on his way to Sri Lanka's northeast in 1989 when Indian troops were deployed there.

Later, Arular threw his lot with the LTTE for some time but this did not last long. In 1997, he set up an Institute of Sustainability Development at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka's east coast. The same year, he wrote a seminal book on Tamil history.

But the conditions there did not let the institute progress very far, and Arular left for Britain where he aggressively developed his passion for "appropriate technology" into "sustainable development" that led to the birth of his company, GSI.

Staying on in Britain, Arular said he began to work on many inventions, including a redesigned bullock cart, a motorised wheelbarrow and a car that consumes less petrol.

Green environment may be his first love but like Tamils the world over, Arular despairs over the fate of his community in Sri Lanka, where escalating violence has left thousands dead in the past two years and where international efforts have failed to bring peace.Asked what the Tamils have gained after a quarter century of war, Arular says with a sigh: "Nothing! We have only destroyed ourselves." As he speaks, it appears the man still nurtures a soft corner for his old friend Prabhakaran.Source: http://www.deccanherald.com